LITTLE ROCK — Early voting is slated to start on a proposal to renew a $575 million bond issue to pay for interstate improvements in Arkansas.

Early voting starts today ahead of a Nov. 8 special election.

Secretary of State Mark Martin hasn't offered a prediction on how many of the state's nearly 1.54 million registered voters will cast a ballot in the Nov. 8 special election, or the early voting leading up to it.

The $575 million bond issue is part of a scaled-back part of a plan lawmakers approved this year to tackle billions of dollars in unfunded highway needs across Arkansas.

A recent University of Arkansas poll showed strong support for the proposal. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said they supported the proposal, while only 28 percent opposed it.